Tag: live concert

Spotify Launches Most Necessary Live, a Concert Series to Showcase Hip-Hop’s Rising Stars

Most Necessary Logo

Fifty years into the game, the world of hip-hop keeps evolving, influencing artists from around the world with different sounds and scenes, and ushering in a new wave of superstars. Now, Spotify’s Most Necessary playlist is celebrating the next generation of hip-hop with its concert series: Most Necessary Live.

With their unwavering support and amplification, local hip-hop scenes all around the globe have been bolstering the rise of this new crop of artists.. Today’s hottest rising stars of hip-hop are breaking out of their homes and stepping into the spotlight, accumulating countless fans and influencing the trends of music at large.

To continue our support of artists at every stage of their careers, we are launching Most Necessary Live, a quarterly live performance series highlighting regional rap scenes and emerging local hip-hop artists from across the United States. The series kicks off at Warehouse Live in Houston, Texas, on August 2. Spotify will invite top listeners in that city to see a stellar lineup of the home’s freshest faces, including DeeBaby, KenTheMan, Mike Dimes, Monaleo, and That Mexican OT

Stay tuned for a Most Necessary Live showcase coming to a city near you.

For the Record caught up with some of the performers at the Houston show to ask about the advice and inspiration they’ve gotten on their musical journeys.

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received?

DeeBaby: Keep going! No matter what is in the way of you and your goals and dreams, face it, overcome it, and WIN. 

That Mexican OT: One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is to stay humble and thankful for every blessing. 

Mike Dimes: Best piece of advice that I received in this stage of my career was to focus on myself, because that’s all I have control of.

Monaleo: To be present, live in the moment, and be appreciative and grateful for the blessings bestowed upon you. Sza said it best in “Good Days”: “Half of us chasing fountains of youth and it’s in the present.”

KenTheMan: The best piece of advice was from my manager: “A skilled sailor never sailed a smooth sea.”

Who were your favorite rap and hip-hop artists growing up, and who inspires you now?

That Mexican OT: Growing up, I was super inspired by Big L and the Texas hip-hop scene. Right now, I’m inspired by a lot of my peers, including the ones I got on this new project Lonestar Luchador, which will be landing later this month. 

Mike Dimes: A$AP Rocky and Joey Bada$$ were my biggest inspirations growing up; now my inspiration comes from Mike Dimes.

Monaleo: I was a huge YMCMB fan, specifically Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Lil Wayne. They all inspired me to pursue music and take it seriously. I was also a huge Odd Future fan. I just loved how the entire group was committed to being themselves and creating fun music. Currently, my inspirations are Frank Ocean and Beyoncé. I love Frank’s deeply poetic nature, and I’m inspired by Beyoncé’s amazing talent and dedication to the culture.

KenTheMan: Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, 2Pac, and my supporters and friends are the ones that truly inspire me!

From Houston to Miami

On November 15, Miami’s next generation of emerging rappers, including Luh TylerReal Boston RicheyDanny TowersWizz HavinnLoe ShimmyC-StunnaIcandy, and Lil Crix, brought high energy to the stage in our second live Most Necessary showcase. They were even joined by surprise guests Kodak Black and Nardo Wick. Catch shots from the unforgettable evening below.

Quiz: This Week on ‘For the Record’

Think you're up-to-date on the latest in Spotify news, data, and trends? Take our quiz to test just how well you’ve been following along.

1. The show’s theme song, “I’ll Be There for You,” has amassed more than 137 million streams on Spotify. Who sings this tune?
2. Over the past week, as fans geared up for the reunion, the official Friends playlist saw this percentage increase in streams:
3. This week, we announced our most recent exploration: a virtual concert experience. Which of the following statements about the upcoming shows are true?
4. Later in the year, Storytel subscribers will be able to enjoy Storytel’s library of audiobooks on Spotify by…
5. Popular German podcast Talk-O-Mat, which features an AI robot, is being adapted for a U.S. audience. What is the name of the new English-language podcast?
6. Mansión Reggaetón, Spotify’s flagship reggaetón playlist, is a one-stop destination for the most-talked-about artists of the genre. According to Spotify data, what country streams the most reggaetón?
7. Germany’s new Podcast—Der Podcast will be parodying several shows, including the most popular podcast from the market, which is:
We’re rolling out the ability for Premium users to download their favorite playlists, albums, and podcasts on your Apple Watch. That means you can control playback while leaving your phone behind.

Spotify’s Front Left Live Returns to Australia for a Second Year, Celebrating the Best Genre-Defying New Music

Melbourne, Australia, has long been a music epicenter and live music hotspot. In keeping the music discovery game strong Down Under, Spotify has announced the return of our playlist event Front Left Live—moving from Sydney to Melbourne—on Wednesday, October 9.

This is the second consecutive year that Spotify has staged Front Left Live. The show will feature some of the world’s most genre-defying artists from near and far, including Tove Lo, who will perform exclusively in Australia for the Spotify event, Tones And I, girl in red, BENEE, and Electric Fields, with a special international guest soon to be announced. 

The showcase-format event is based on Spotify’s Front Left playlist, which boasts over 500,000 followers and has helped several rising Australian and Kiwi artists expand their fan bases at home and around the world—and vice versa. 

Here’s a look at some of the diverse artists slated to perform at Front Left Live:

  • Swedish pop sensation Tove Lo, best known for her hits “Habits,” “Talking Body,” and “Cool Girl,” is headlining the event in an exclusive Australian live performance. The artist struck a chord with local fans when she collaborated with Aussies Flume and Daniel Johns on “Say It” in 2016.  
  • Up-and-coming Australian indie pop star Tones and I started as a busker in 2018. Yet she has amassed the number one song on Spotify’s Australia Top 50, a number one single on the ARIA chart, tracks in 157 playlists worldwide, and over 40 million streams—in under four months. 
  • girl in red, the Norwegian singer-songwriter and self-produced artist Marie Ulven, is an innovative, authentic voice who’s building a global fan base on Spotify from the confines of her bedroom studio.
  • Auckland, New Zealand-based BENEE melds indie, R&B, and pop on her debut album FIRE ON MARZZ. Her breakout single “Soaked” has been streamed 21.5 million times since its release earlier this year.
  • Electric Fields, the Adelaide, Australia-based duo of producer-composer Michael Ross and vocalist Zaachariaha Fielding, combines an exciting blend of traditional Aboriginal culture and language with modern electronic beats.

Fans around the world can tune in to the exciting sounds of Front Left.